Banfield Trial: The 7:37 AM Phone Call That Prosecutors Say Proves Everything

Surveillance video and phone records took center stage on day three of the Brendan Banfield double murder trial as prosecutors worked to corroborate au pair Juliana Peres Magalhães's testimony with hard evidence. The jury watched footage from a McDonald's near the Banfield home showing the defendant waiting in the parking lot on the morning of February 24, 2023. At 7:37 AM, Banfield is seen leaving the bathroom with his phone pressed to his ear — matching call records that show Juliana phoned him at that exact moment.

According to testimony, that call was the signal that Joseph Ryan had arrived at the house. Ryan was allegedly lured there through months of messages on the fetish website FetLife from someone he believed was Christine Banfield — but who prosecutors say was actually Brendan posing as his wife.

Forensic testimony revealed Brendan's DNA was not on the knife allegedly used to kill Christine, but forensic scientist Katherine Colombo noted that police let him wash his hands before collecting samples. Blood on Banfield's jeans matched Christine's DNA. Fingerprint examiner Douglas Gudakunst testified that prints on the knife were inconclusive between Banfield and Ryan.

Detectives also showed the jury photographs from eight months after the murders when they returned with a warrant. The master bedroom where Christine died had been completely transformed — new flooring, new furniture, and photos of Brendan with Juliana replacing images of Brendan with his late wife. Juliana had moved into that bedroom.

Prosecutors established Banfield purchased a firearm less than a month before the killings and allegedly spent $30,000 on soundproof windows. Trial resumes Tuesday.

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